Home Truths
by Daughter of Lestrange
Summary: Tom has taken on a new apprentice. When the girl becomes ill and delirious, she begins to tell him a few home truths that threaten his relationship with Alice, and his career as a Spook
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

TOM WARD

It had been over a year since I'd had an apprentice. Truth be told, I didn't want another just yet. I was enjoying my time just being alone with Alice. Ever since we'd defeated Talkus, the Dark seemed to have ebbed. I was sure it was just biding its time, but I was content to let it. I was really settling into the typical routine of a spook and dealing mostly with boggarts and ghosts. Even they were in short order. I'd asked Kratch what he thought about it. He told me that many of them were in some sort of hibernation from the after effects of everything that had recently happened. Kratch himself had been a bit groggy of late but was determined to fight it.

It was late in the spring when a mine to the north of us collapsed. Events like this spread quickly through the County, as many people from many different villages work the mines. Two families form Chippenden had been affected, and it was very common for the entire town to help. The men had lived, but both of them had sustained very serious injuries. The first had a terrible concussion that rendered him temporarily blind. The other had broken his neck and was now permanently paralyzed. I felt terrible for both families. Miners weren't wealthy people to begin with. Neither of them would have any income now, unless their wives could find work. I wish that there was something that I could do, yet I thought I'd nothing to contribute; no one would really the help of a Spook in any case. I was very wrong!

Late one evening, I heard the Spook's bell ringing. I hurried out, hoping I might get a bit of excitement. I was shocked to find the wife of Vincent Syner – one of the men who had been hurt in the mines. She looked very troubled and was mopping at her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Master Ward," she greeted, attempting to smile.

"Good evening, Mrs. Syner," I replied kindly. "I'm so sorry to hear about your husband. I hope you aren't being troubled by the Dark, besides."

"No, no, it isn't that. For us, it's worse." She sniffed and blew her nose. "Due to my husband's indisposition, we stand to lose everything. My eldest married a man of title and he's graciously told us that we can move in with them. The trouble is that they live far to the south, in Hampshire. We're selling everything we possess, taking only our clothing and money.

"Master Ward, I am the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. I also bore seven girls. Until this very day, my three youngest have been living with us. Two of them have made arrangements for themselves, but my youngest is struggling. All of her aunts have turned me down. I can't blame them, they all have large families of their own. She's too young to be married. She's also too young to begin a proper job and all of the women I've asked have daughters of their own to take over for them." Tears began to spill from her eyes again.

"Can you not take her with you?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, my eldest and her husband do not yet own the estate they live on. It's owned by his father. I don't understand his reasoning, but he abhors children. The only reason he had a son in the first place is so that he had an heir. It was very clear that she's not welcome to come with us.

"I... I've no right to beg, Master Ward. I don't mean to guilt you into a position you'd rather not be in. Still, I can't tell you how grateful I would be if you would consider apprenticing my daughter. She's twelve now, thirteen come October. She's very healthy and strong for a girl. Her gifts as a seven of seven are already apparent. I'm proud to say that she was always in the top of her classes at school and can read and write exceptionally well. She's a good girl, Master Ward, and very kind. I realize that an apprenticeship is expensive, but we can afford it."

I sighed inwardly. I didn't want to take _any_ one on, boy or girl. I also knew that if they'd come to me, this family was truly desperate. People were reluctant to apprentice their sons, and I felt sure that no one would ever willingly let their daughter be a Spook. They were far more likely to force a girl into marriage before it came to that. I still had deep reservations about the whole thing, but my dad had always told me to trust my gut. I knew that if I turned Mrs. Syner down, I was likely to feel very guilty. Despite everything, I felt that taking her daughter on was the right thing to do. I tried my best to smile at her.

"There's no need to pay me, Mrs. Syner. Consider this my contribution. I'd have nothing to do for you family otherwise. I'll come to collect your daughter in the morning."

Mrs. Syner burst into tears and threw her arms about me. Embarrassed, I hugged her back. She thanked me heartily several times before she finally toddled off down the road. Part of me was still feeling very reluctant, and I just hoped I wouldn't come to regret my decision.

Alice wasn't best pleased when I told her what I'd done. She pouted and tried to wheedle me out of it. I tried my best to reassure her. In the end, I had to put my foot down. Alice was sullen and moody toward me the rest of the night. I told her that I wasn't especially excited about it, it was simply one of those things that had to be done as a Spook. Half of our job was to train others, after all. Once I thoroughly explained the situation, she accepted it, albeit grudgingly. I was starting to get irritated with her. I reminded her that my own master had taken her in when she was in a bad way. Alice stomped up the stairs to bed after that.

I finally made my own way to bed after a time. I'd just sat on the edge of my bed and was pulling my boots off when I was struck hard with a pillow. I whipped round to see Alice sticking her tongue out at me. She put her nose in the air, turned her back to me and flopped down heavily on the bed. She refused to speak to me any more that night. Lucky for me, she was in a far better mood in the morning!

I got ready to go to the Cyner's straight after breakfast. I offered for Alice to come with me. Although her attitude was better, she still wanted nothing to do with this. I shrugged and headed out. I set off down the hill and through the small copse of trees, crossing the dirt lane. I began picking my way through town.

After a time, I turned off the main road onto a side street and started down the rows of cottages. I had my hood down and hadn't brought any of my gear, so I didn't look like a Spook. It was probably because of that that a young woman readily helped me when I asked where the Cyner's home was. I followed her directions and turned down another side road until I reached the little lane she'd indicated. I counted the houses as I went down it, stopping at the ninth one on the left.

It was a nice home. Like all the others, it was far taller than it was wide. It was grey, but bursts of color came form painted window boxes and the flowers they contained. It made the place look very cheerful. The small front lawn was neatly manicured and inviting. I walked up the flags to knock on the front door, which was painted blue. Mrs. Syner answered within seconds and beckoned me in.

She led me to the kitchen where a young girl was leaning against the table. The girl looked up at me when we entered. She was very short, no higher than my top ribs. Her mam had said she was strong, but she was lean and wiry, so there was no way to tell. She was so young that I couldn't decide whether she was pretty or not, though she was certainly cute. Her small face was open and friendly looking. She had a small, slightly upturned nose and lovely pink lips. Her eyes were large and blue, with very dark lashes. Her hair hung down past her chest and was a dark auburn color, like the last red leaves of autumn. She would have been more attractive if her expression wasn't so miserable.

"This is Elanor, but she refers to be called Ellie, " Mrs. Syner introduced.

"Hello, Ellie," I smiled kindly. "Ellie is the name of my sister-in-law, too. My name is Tom Ward."

I held my hand out to her and she shook it reluctantly, muttering hello. Her mam shook her head and tutted.

"Pluck yourself up my girl, your face is nearly on the floor!"

Ellie looked at her mam, then smiled sadly.

"Come now, it isn't as bad as all that. I'm sorry, Master Ward."

"It's perfectly fine," I replied. "I understand. I felt the same way when I first left home."

"It really shan't be so awful," Mrs. Syner reassured, again.

"How an you say that, mam?" Ellie exclaimed. "I'm never going to see you again!"

She began to cry and rushed to hug her mam. Mrs. Syner hugged her daughter and invited me to sit down. I did so, feeling sad and awkward. After a time, Ellie calmed down and the two of them sat opposite of me.

"I understand you may have a few questions for her, Master Ward?" Mrs. Syner asked, after giving me a cup of tea.

"Tom, please," I said. "Yes, ma'am, I have. Ellie, have you ever seen things that no one else in your family could?"

Ellie nodded and sniffled before she spoke. "Yes. A few times. We used to have a ghost in our attic, and I saw her plenty of times. I was real scared of her when I was little, but I got used to her before she went to the light."

"That's a good start," I told her. "How did you get over your fear?"

"I think it was more her, really. She realized that I could see her one day. She smiled and waved at me. She was very friendly to me after that. I guess I knew that she was just like any other person. Well, except that she was dead." Ellie gave a little smile then.

I nodded and smiled. "Are you afraid of ghosts anymore?"

"Sometimes," she admitted. "Once when we were at my auntie's, I came across the ghost of a man. He was all bloodied and carrying an ax. I didn't need to talk to him to know he was different. He _felt_ bad and I didn't want to be around him."

"That's good, as well. Not all ghosts are decent, just as not all people are. Some can get quite violent, so that's a healthy attitude to have. Now, I had another female apprentice. She had a gift she called Empathy. She could feel other people's emotions. Do you have that as well?"

"I do, yes, and it keeps getting stronger, too. Sometimes I can get in a person's and change what they feel. I've only done it a few times because it's still new to me."

"Jenny – that was my apprentice – could do that as well. My own gifts are a little different, but I didn't have quite all of them at twelve. I'm sure you'll come in to your own in a year or two. How are you at Latin?"

"Ego dicere quod tum," she grinned.

I was completely shocked and laughed. "You've one upped me! I had to learn it as part of my studies. Where did you learn it?"

"It's required in school now," Ellie replied.

"Well, Ellie, you seem like a very smart young lady. You're honest and have good common sense. I've already told your mam that I'll take you on."

She nodded, looking sad again. I told them I would step outside so that they could say their good-byes. Mrs. Syner thanked me once more and went to hold the front door open for me. I went to wait at the bottom of the garden. I stood there for ten minutes before Ellie finally trudged out. Several bags dangled from each arm and she had a large pack on her back. I grinned at her and opened the gate.

"Looks like you've taken everything but the kitchen sink," I joked.

She nodded absently. When I looked down at her, I could see the tears streaming down her face. I knew this must be incredibly hard for her. She'd probably already had an idea of what she wanted her life to be. It had been taken away from her quite literally overnight. Being a Spook was the sort of thing that needed a bit of mental preparation; it wasn't the sort of apprenticeship to spring on a person.

"I know that everyone keeps saying this, but you really will be ok," I told her gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. "My own parents passed away during my apprenticeship. I totally understand how you feel. I promise you, it does get easier."

"How did you deal with it?" She asked.

"It was rough for a time," I replied. "I tried to focus on all the good times we'd had. I kept myself busy and told myself that in the end, it was something I couldn't change. No amount of tears would bring them back. Besides, I knew they'd be very upset if I carried on being miserable all the time. They'd wanted me to have a happy life. I felt that was the best way to honor them."

Ellie sniffled and nodded.

"Just give yourself time. You'll be homesick at first. Everyone is. That will get better though. After a month, every apprentice is allowed to visit home and decide if they was to continue. I know you won't be able to do that, so I'll tell you what: I've always wanted to see the south. If we can save up enough money, then halfway through your training, we'll head down there and surprise your parents. Would you like that?"

" _Really?"_ Ellie beamed up at me and wiped her eyes. "I would love that!"

Ellie really perked up after that. On the way home, I explained to her about the house boggart. She took a keen interest in him.

"Is he unique, or do other people have them?"

"Some people do," I answered. "Though I think he is pretty different. If you treat the hairy ones right, they can be quite amiable and might be willing to stick around and help out. Many are curious about us, which is how they wind up in houses in the first place."

"We had one round our neighborhood once. It played a few tricks, but people were too daft to notice. I think it got bored and left."

I snickered. "Although, I probably shouldn't laugh. Boggarts can get irritated if people aren't bothered by them. That's when they become dangerous."

She became very quiet again. I could tell that she was deep in thought. I finally asked her if she had any questions for me.

"A few," she admitted. "I keep hearing about how dangerous this job is. Is it really that bad? What's the worst you've encountered?"

"It can get extremely bad, I won't lie about that. Thankfully, I doubt you'll have to come across anything like I did. The very worst I came up against was the Fiend himself! I had some incredible help and we managed to destroy him. Then again, the Kobalos were quite nasty. I've been technically dead twice, and that wasn't so nice. The Dark seems to be at a good ebb now. I really don't think we'll ever deal with anything of the like. We'll definitely study it, and you'll have to be very prepared, just in case."

"What about the witches? Aren't _they_ really bad?"

I had to think about that. "To be honest, Ellie, usually the witches were the least of my problems. Water witches are far worse than the Pendle girls. My master had already dealt with the most dangerous witches already and we captured Bony Lizzie in my first year. On top of everything, I ended up in an alliance with the most feared witch – the Malkins' assassin, Grimalkin."

"You knew Grimalkin?" She gasped. "I can't wait to hear more about that!"

"You certainly will, all in good time."

"I did have one other question. I... I was never very popular. I had a few good friends, only when I told them I was going to be a Spook, they stopped speaking to me. They've told me not to come round any more." Ellie's voice rose and she began to tear up again. "Is it always lonely? Will I ever have friends again? One of my sisters has the most lovely husband, and they had a baby last summer. I fell totally in love with it. I decided I really wanted my own family. I'd started getting to know this lad real well, but now he's ignoring me too, and..." She broke off, giving a small sob and wiping at her eyes.

I was feeling even worse for her. I realized I hadn't lost much by becoming a Spook. My family was still near and they still wanted me to come by. I'd had few friends, none who I was especially close to. I'd never known any girls, save my mam and Jack's wife. Ellie had lost all her future prospects.

"Most Spooks do work alone and that's because they wouldn't want to put their family in danger. Every Spook is different. Some have had women. I bet you can't guess why I'm telling you this," I added mysteriously.

Ellie shook her head.

"I happen to be married."

I laughed when her jaw dropped. "I knew that would surprise you! My master lived with a woman called Meg for a long time as well. We had to go out of the County to have it done, as no priest would be willing to perform the ceremony for a Spook. You're going to find that there's a lot about me that isn't traditional. That includes Alice. She's a witch. I know, I know, I can tell what you're thinking. That's going to be a story for another day, though.

"In any case, Ellie, I really feel that Spooks are only as alone as they choose to be. The average person may not look on you kindly, but friends can be found in the oddest ways – like Grimalkin and I. There's nothing stopping you from getting married if you find the right lad. I rather hope that by the end of your training, you'll come to see me as your friend. I'm sure that Alice will be, too."

Ellie dried her tears and smiled up at me. We had just come to the bell and walked on to the garden fence. I announced her to the boggart and we went in. I explained to her about the about garden as we walked through it. I gestured to where the witch pits were. I pointed out the post where she would be practicing casting her chain. On the other side of the house, the Western garden was where we would have lessons on a nice day.

"It's a beautiful house, Master Ward," she said. "It's like a manor house!"

I grinned. "It is, I suppose. It seems smaller on the inside, especially when we're stuck there because of the rain. Oh, Ellie, one more thing. You don't need to call me 'master'. Jenny never did and somehow I find it strange now. Just call me Tom. You don't want me to call you Apprentice Cyner, do you?"

"No," she giggled. "What's that smaller building there?"

"That belongs to Alice. It's called a greenhouse. It's for growing plants." I paused. "I should explain to you about Alice first. Alice is a witch, and technically she's malevolent. She had a very rough childhood and was raised by one of the worst witches in the County. I met her when I was your age and straight off I knew she was different. She really was trying to be a decent person, but Pendle isn't a nice area to grow up in in the first place. Alice does use a bit of dark magic, yet her heart is always in the right place. You see Ellie, the world isn't always black and white or light and dark. Alice has actually saved many innocent lives by using her magic. I can't say I always condone her methods, but its what we call a necessary evil. I feel that if the end justifies the means, we can be flexible. I always base my judgments on motive. Understand?"

"Sort of."

"In other words, we can't be biased. There are different types of witches, and being a witch doesn't automatically make a woman evil. Even if she uses dark magic, we must find out the entire story. We have to keep the dark away, but we also have to be fair."

"If the witches know that, won't they lie or try to trick us?"

"That's where your training will come in. Plus, your instinct. The very first thing I learned as an apprentice is hat your gut is rarely wrong. Always listen to what it tells you."

Ellie nodded. She gazed back at the greenhouse. "I've never seen anything like that before. Do you think Alice would let me see her plants? Mam and I loved gardening."

"I'm sure she will," I smiled. "I think that Alice wishes I took more interest in them. My mam had a garden as well. When I was a little boy, I fell into one of her rose bushes. I went right off plants after that."

Ellie giggled. I opened the back door for her and told her where she could find her room. Once she'd moved her things in, I gave her a tour of the house. We took a lot of time in the library. Ellie loved to read and she was eager to get her hands on the all the books.

We sat down to lunch just after noon. I warned her that I was a terrible cook. She said that she was still learning, but had mastered a few dishes. Lunch was usually very basic. Today, we were settling for slices of ham between bread. Alice came in just as we were sitting down. She washed her hands and sat next to me.

"Hello," Ellie greeted. "I'm Ellie Syner. You must be Alice."

"Why, what have you heard?" Alice asked suspiciously.

She was serious, but Ellie thought she was making a joke and snickered. Alice glared at her.

"How long have you two been together?"

"Since we were your age."

There was a strong hint in that, that in Alice's eyes, Ellie was very much a child. Ellie didn't notice.

"Really? That's so nice! I was kind of hoping I'd marry my friend, but now I'm a Spook, that's not likely."

"Ran away frightened, did he?" Alice ribbed.

I smacked Alice's leg under the table and she gave me a cheeky grin. Ellie didn't seem to mind at all.

"Something like that. Tom says you really enjoy gardening. I've never seen anything like that greenhouse before! Can I have a look in some time?"

Alice blinked, her face blank. It looked as though she was trying to figure out the motive behind Ellie's friendliness. "I suppose. It'll have to be a time when you ain't busy with lessons though."

She gave me a look that clearly meant I had been keep Ellie busy. I sighed. Ellie hadn't even been here five minutes and it was already shaping up to be another situation very much like the rivalry between Alice and Jenny. I hoped against hope that that wouldn't be the case.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **TOM WARD**

As it turned out, Ellie was everything that her mam had promised. I'd decided that I was going to give my apprentices a choice; for their first test, they could either stay the night at 13 Watery Lane, or stay in the woods behind my old home at Brewer's Farm. It was pouring rain on the night that I'd intended to take her, so Ellie agreed to try the haunted house. I remembered well what had happened to Jenny so I changed up the rules for a female. I gave her a staff and told her that if the emotions became too much for her, she was to rap hard five times on the cellar door with it. I was going to sit at the foot of the stairs until just before midnight to listen. It turned out that Ellie never knocked, and dutifully came down the stairs at midnight. Upon seeing me, she glared and put a hand on her hip, obviously annoyed. Then she grinned and started to laugh.

"Were you down here the whole time? That was a rotten trick!" She exclaimed.

"It has its uses," I said. "If you'd come down before midnight, I'd have known that you couldn't follow instructions. If you'd run away, I'd have known that we'd need to work on your bravery. I'm glad that you did neither! This is normally the test to prove you're fit to be an apprentice, but as you've already got the job, I wanted to see how you'd fare. You definitely passed. Were you scared?"

"A bit," she admitted. "The worst was the feeling I got when the footsteps came up the stairs a second time. It felt like I'd become another person, and whoever I was, I knew that I was about to die."

I explained to Ellie everything that had happened in the house with the miner and his wife. She told me about the feelings she'd had along with the goings on, and it sounded as though it had been just like Jenny's experience. When I told her that, she nodded thoughtfully.

"I understand why Jenny ran away. I'm still developing that sense. I'd hate to experience that full on without knowing what was happening first."

"Do you think it would have helped to have warning first?" I asked.

"Not me, no. Telling me that it was haunted was enough. I'm sure it might have helped her, though."

I tucked that bit of information away in my mind. I was sure it would come in useful later. The rain had let up by that time and we were able to head home.

"Tom?" Ellie asked, as we walked down the road. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to Jenny?"

I sighed. I knew she would ask that eventually. Even if she hadn't, I would've had to tell her at some point in her studies. "Jenny was killed by water witch poison. Do you know where Caster is? Just west of it is a great water mill that a Spook lives in. We went to check on things there, because the Dark was getting stronger and times were getting very bad. The Spook there had been killed and we were set on by creatures called skelts. Jenny and I had to escape out a back passage, trying to bypass the skelts. We got away from the mill and we were running along a canal. It was nighttime and being by the water, it was quite foggy. A water witch must have heard us coming and laid in wait, because it grabbed Jenny's ankle was we passed.

"It was only a scratch she got and Jenny told me she was alright, but water witches are very poisonous. It turned out that Jenny was just putting on a brave face. I failed to realize how serious it was until she collapsed. I tried to get help. Neither Alice nor Grimalkin could come to our aid. I took Jenny to a nearby manor house my master and I had stayed in once. They had a woman there who was a skilled healer. Sadly, the house had been taken over by the Dark. The woman who might have helped her had bee killed, so Jenny stood no chance after that. She passed away shortly after we got her into a bed."

Ellie put her little hand on my forearm. "I'm so sorry, Tom."

"Thank you," I said, trying to smile. "It does help to talk about it."

I wasn't quite sure but I suspected that Ellie was trying to use her gift to make me feel better. I realized then that she was quite a lot like Jenny, herself.

In the following days, I'd had other things proven true about Ellie as well. She was quite diligent when it came to practicing with the silver chain. Once she got into the motion of casting it, she hit the post more often than not. I was both proud and embarrassed – it had taken me far longer to accomplish the same results.

She dug pits faster than I'd have expected, too. She told me that her father owned part of a field. He would pay her for tilling it when he had too much work to do, so she'd really built up her arm strength over the years. She said she was also used to digging, though certainly not in that volume. Her mam had been absolutely correct; Ellie was a very strong girl.

Ellie was particularly friendly. Once she'd gotten over her initial sadness, she came out of her shell and loved to be around Alice and I. I gathered from her comments that she like Alice a great deal. She thought that Alice was very pretty and said the way Alice spoke was cute. Ellie was interested in her life. She kept trying to ask Alice about witches, what they did all day, and how things were growing up as a witch. Alice, in turn, kept coming up with more and more creative excuses to escape interrogation. It was true that Ellie could be a little intrusive and sometimes overbearing with her eagerness, yet I knew that she always meant well. She was ever cheeky to me the way Jenny had been. Ellie never meant to annoy anyone, still it became clear that Alice thought she was a nuisance.

"What is it you don't like about her?" I asked Alice, when I'd sent Ellie to the shops.

"She so nosy! Always asking me this or that. It's weird!"

"Maybe she wouldn't keep on if you'd actually answer her," I laughed. "She's only trying to be your friend."

"Bit young for that, ain't she? Only twelve, she is, and we ain't got a thing in common," Alice insisted. "Besides, if you ask me, she likes her Master Ward a little _too_ well."

"She does not!" I said, exasperated. "Ellie told me more about her family. When she was a little girl, her parents adopted her cousin after her aunt died. He lived with them from the time she was born until she was five. They were very close. Apparently, I remind her of him. That's all, Alice. She sees me like an older brother. Look, I know she comes on strong, but do try to be nice to her."

"Only if you'll be nice to me," she said coyly.

We'd been sitting on the couch, cuddling and she leaned over and kissed me. We kissed for a long time. We were just taking it a step further when we heard the back door open, then shut.

"I'm back," Ellie called.

Alice humphed and whispered, "Couldn't you have locked the door?"

I chuckled. "She's too determined. She'd only break a window and climb in!"

Ellie came into the room, looking very upset. "Tom, those lads got me again. The big one pinched my bum this time!"

"And you were so thrilled, you ran home to tell us, did you?" Alice joked.

"No," Ellie said, but she smiled. "I hate it when they do that. What can I do, Tom?"

"I don't know. Put a skillet over your bottom next time?" I kissed Alice on the forehead and got up from the couch. "Seriously though, Ellie, I'll follow you next time. I'll keep out of sight, and if they harass you again, I'll tell them to leave off."

The rest of the afternoon, Ellie and I were in the library. I had to get all of my old notebooks out for the lessons. It was far easier to be the lecturer than it had been to take it all down. Ellie was an adept at taking notes, and I hadn't yet corrected her or needed t add anything. We finished an hour before dinner. I wanted to bathe, so I told Ellie to do as she pleased. It turned out to be a mistake on my part.

 **ELLIE CYNER**

Tom and I finished our lesson early today. I could already smell something delicious cooking, so I popped down to the kitchen to see what Alice was up to. I like Alice a lot! She makes a lot of jokes, even though a lot of them at my expense. I don't think she's trying to be mean. Tom says she was raised different, and not to take her ribbings to heart. Her mam wasn't nice at all, so sometimes Alice can be edgy too. I know Tom is working on it with her and that makes it easy to forgive her.

I found Alice on a step-stool, gathering herbs from one of the cupboards. I went to the fire. I lifted the lid and stirred the pot with the ladle. I put m face over it to get a good whiff. It smelled even better now I was right above it.

"What are you doing?" Alice demanded.

"Hello," I smiled. "I'm done for the day. I thought I'd see if you needed any help."

"Ah. Well, no, I don't. Been making this for years, I have. Would you move over?"

I obliged and Alice began stirring in the herbs.

"It smells really good! Rabbit stew, right?" I asked.

"Yes. It better, I've been working on it all afternoon."

"What do you put in it?"

"The usual, I s'pose. Rabbit, stock, veg, herbs. Why?"

"I just wondered if I could make a suggestion."

"What?"

Since then, Tom has told me that Alice wasn't asking me what the suggestion was. She was saying it indignantly. Unfortunately, I hadn't been around long enough to know that. Sometimes Alice's tone stayed flat. I went ahead and told her my suggestion.

"My mam's friend was a maid to a high born family. She gave us all sort of recipes. There are a few little things you could add to your stew that would make it taste like what kinds eat!"

"Why would I do that? We ain't high born. Good ol' County stew, this!"

"I know, Alice. I only thought that maybe you'd like to try something new. It can be fun."

"Maybe, but Tom likes it this way."

"I think Tom would like anything you cook for him! Please, Alice? Just this once?"

Alice might have said a lot of things at this point. She could have put her foot down and told me no. I would have understood and left to do something else. She might have suggested that I wait until it was my night to fix dinner and do it myself. She could have even told me that she was feeling annoyed and didn't want my advice. My sisters were always doing that, so I'm used to it. It wouldn't have hurt my feelings.

What Alice actually said was "Whatever, I don't care". She put the lid back on the pot and left the kitchen.

I didn't realize that she was so angry with me, then. I truly thought that she meant she didn't care. I went ahead with my additives. I had a good feel for the kitchen now and I knew where most everything was. First, I tipped a bit of red wine into the pot. Then I chopped up two cloves of garlic and slid them in. Alice had herbs in jars all over the place. I found some barley, crushed it, and tossed it in. Finally, I found some mushrooms, sliced them and added them to the lot.

Tom came down to dinner an hour later. Alice was setting down large bowls of the stew around the table. She'd also put down bread and butter. I rushed to sit down. I know that Tom really loved Alice's stew, but as he began to tuck in, his eyes grew wide and he got a big smile on his face.

"This is amazing, Alice!" He said. "You've really outdone yourself this time!"

I beamed. Alice took a bite. She threw her spoon down.

"This... ain't... mine," she growled. Alice looked right at me, giving me a deadly stare. "How could you! How _dare_ you muck about with my food!"

I was startled. I didn't know what to do or to say. The way she looked at me made me want to hide. I could feel the air getting colder. Tom had taught me it meant that something from the Dark was near.

"Calm down, Alice," Tom said soothingly. "What's happened?"

"It was her! She comes in, pestering me as usual, and she went and changed my stew!" Alice shouted.

"But... but Alice, when I asked you, right before you left, you said you didn't care."

"Are you really that daft? Just trying to get rid of you, I was! I told you I worked hours on it! I didn't want a pesky little scummer telling me what to do!"

I hung my head. I felt incredibly stupid. Tears started to fall out of my eyes before I could stop them.

"Please, Alice... please, don't shout," Tom said quietly, rubbing her back. "Ellie, can you tell me exactly what happened and what Alice said to you?"

"I loved the smell of her stew. I remembered a recipe my mam taught me," I started, but my voice caught. I wiped my eyes on my napkin. "I thought Alice might like it, so... so I asked if she'd like to try it. Alice said 'whatever, I don't care' and left. I r-really thought... ohhh..." My voice broke again and I sobbed.

"Ladies, I think we've had a horrible misunderstand," Tom said. "Ellie, I know you usually say exactly what you mean. Alice speaks differently. There are times she says things sarcastically or sort of says the opposite of what she intends. She was raised that you don't always tell a person what you're thinking or feeling. I've learned to communicate around that, and I forget that it can be tough for people around us. I think that Alice _was_ actually angry, but she was keeping it in. She was being tactful and didn't want to upset you. Does that make sense?"

I nodded.

"And Alice, I know that Ellie wasn't being spiteful. I think you now it, too. You do communicate differently from most people, and sometimes you've got to say what you mean if you think you aren't being heard. Ellie truly thought you meant you didn't care. She was only trying to please you and to be helpful.

"Look girls, I don't think stew is anything we need to become hostile and bitter over. I certainly don't want to fall out over food! In future, let's simply leave each others cooking alone, that way there won't be hard feelings. Agreed?"

We both did. I rubbed my eyes, trying hard to stop my tears. Tom reached across the table and patted my hand.

"I'm going to add a proviso to that. If you see my pan on fire the way it was last week, you're more than welcome to throw it out the window."

Even Alice laughed at that.

 **TOM WARD**

When the weekend came, Alice and I had grown accustomed to lazing about, so I let Ellie have the day off as well. We would still have to go out if there was Spook business, but it was nice to have a break. Ellie always worked hard and diligently all week without any complaints or cheekiness, although she did like a good laugh. I knew from a peep at her journal that she was missing home terribly, yet she was trying to keep her spirits up and put on a brave face. I admired her for it.

I went back to my room after breakfast. No matter what else happened during the week, Alice and I made it a point to have a lie in every Saturday. I had just taken off my shirt and laid down when Alice pounced on the bed and cuddled me. She gave me a deep kiss which I returned. She wiggled herself on top of me and snuggled down. Alice was so light – I'd lifted sacks of flour that were heavier than her! I rubbed her bare back gently. She wound her little fingers in my hair.

A couple of hours later, I went to check on Ellie. I'd gone downstairs first to look out the window. It was sunny out, so I thought she may have been catnapping on the garden bench. She wasn't there, so I checked the library. I finally found her in her room, sitting up in bed.

"Hello there! What are you getting up to?" I greeted.

"I'm reading one of Jenny's journals," she smiled. "I never asked, but I hope that's ok."

"Of course, that's what they're there for."

"By the way, Tom, I was hearing some very odd noises a little while ago."

"Oh? What sort of noises?"

"It was a moaning, almost like someone in pain, but I couldn't really tell," she said.

I swallowed. I knew exactly what she'd been hearing. I had no idea what to say! I didn't want to lie to my apprentice, but the truth was nearly as bad and was sure to embarrass everyone.

"It was one of the witches," I answered, as honestly as possible. "They can make a bit of noise if aroused. Don't worry, everything is fine."

She nodded, satisfied. I was glad she'd bought it. I couldn't bear to admit it had been Alice and I! We'd lived alone for so long and our time together had never bothered anyone before. We'd both forgotten that we'd need to be quiet since there was someone else in the house. I would definitely remember now!

After lunch, Ellie and I went out to the garden. She was an expert at digging pits by now, so it was time for her to learn that there was more to it than that. I put down a large metal bucket of glue. It was very cheap and not the sort we'd use on a real job, but it would serve its purpose.

"You may have been wondering what the point of pitting a boggart is," I started. "After all, couldn't they just dig themselves out? Yes, they could. That's why we'll need this." I handed Ellie a large brush. "On a job, the glue with be much thicker and mixed with salt and iron. What I want you to do is coat the pit. You'll need to be quick about it and extremely thorough. A boggart can change size and can escape the pit through a spot no bigger than a pin head. Then you'll have to capture it again, only this time, it'll be furious."

Ellie jumped into the pit and got to work straight away. I'd brought a few book and went to sit under a tree. It was a warn, lazy sort of day. I was drowsy from my time with Alice. Without realizing it, I began to fall asleep. I can't say how long I slept, but it couldn't have been more than an hour. What roused me was Ellie shouting.

"Tom! Tom? Are you there? Help me! Someone, help!"

I ran back to the pit. Ellie looked as though she was leaning against one side, but in a very awkward position. She was relived to see me.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"I'm stuck!" She cried. "I coated the pit, but I couldn't figure how to get out. I put the shovel against one side and tried to run up it. It slid down and I fell back. Now I'm stuck!"

I was about to scold her for being daft, when I realized that I'd never told her she'd have to climb out of the pit to coat the top. I felt terrible.

"I'll get a ladder, Ellie, don't worry. I'll be right back!"

I ran to the greenhouse. Normally, the ladder was hanging off two hooks on the side of the house, but Alice had been using it of late. I opened the door, saw it propped in one corner and grabbed it.

"What are you doing?" Alice asked, curiously.

I'd been in such a rush that I hadn't even seen her. "It's Ellie. She's stuck in a pit."

I took off running back to the pit with Alice following me I put one end of the ladder into the hole and leapt down. Alice peeked over the edge.

"Right, come on then. Up you get!"

"I can't,T om. I'm stuck!"

"I know that, and I've just brought you a ladder, haven't I, " I replied, exasperated.

"No, I mean I'm _stuck_ stuck! Stuck to the glue! I can't get out!"

Above us, I heard Alice begin laughing. It wasn't very kind, but when I looked back at Ellie, I couldn't stop myself from chuckling either. Ellie started to giggle too.

"I'm sorry," I grinned. "I shouldn't laugh, I know, but we've all done something really daft our first year. Here, let me look at you."

It was lucky that she'd pulled all her hair into a bun before she'd started, otherwise, I would've had to cut it off. From all appearances, only her clothes were stuck to the glue. When I told her this, she blushed furiously. I noticed that Alice wasn't laughing anymore either.

"I... I think you might have to undo by buttons," Ellie whispered. "I can't get to them with my arms trapped like this."

I felt a flush in my own cheeks. Still, she was only twelve, so I decided there was nothing to be embarrassed about. I quickly unfastened all the buttons at the front of her dress and she wriggled free. I tried not to look, but she got loose faster than I could turn round. I'd never seen a girl her age nude, as I'd only grown up with brothers, so I had no idea what to expect. Her chest was totally flat, though her nipples were puffy and I could tell that breasts were beginning to grow. She hadn't a trace of body hair – not even on her private bits. I wasn't sure how I felt about that, as Alice did have a bit, and I rather enjoyed it. Truth be told, I felt awkwardly aroused, but I also felt it was wrong.

I quickly took my cloak off so she could have it. Ellie did it up quickly, her face red as a beet, as I'm sure my own was. She scurried up the ladder and I went after her.

"But cold out to be in the nudy, ain't it?" Alice ribbed. "Still, you've got a nice little figure. For a slip of a girl, anyway. Looked just like that when I was ten, I did. "

Ellie self -consciously pulled my cloak tighter about herself and hung her head. I couldn't understand why Alice had said what she did. It sounded like a compliment, but Ellie looked ashamed now. Was this ore subtle female communication? I wish I had a book on women. Seeing how Alice and Ellie looked at each other tough, I decided it might be more dangerous than studying the Dark!

 **ELLIE CYNER**

I avoided Tom and Alice the rest of the day. I waited until they were upstairs before I started making dinner. I rung the dinner bell, put my dishes on a tray and scampered up the stairs to my room. I couldn't bear to look at them across the table all through the meal. Half and hour later, there was a knock on my door. I didn't want to see anybody but I answered anyway.

Tom came in. He smiled at me, then shut the door behind him. I rubbed my eyes. I really didn't want him to see I'd been crying. I'd also been reading Jenny's journal again and set it down on my nightstand when he came to sit next to me.

"What's wrong, Ellie?" He asked, gently. "I've not since you this afternoon. I was getting worried. You weren't _that_ embarrassed, were you?"

"I was a bit," I said. "I'm so sorry, Tom."

His eyes widened in surprise. "I'm the one who should be sorry! I didn't explain the job properly. That was my fault, not yours. Sometimes things happen on this job that can't be helped. I've seen several people naked that I'd rather not have – I suppose you could say its an occupational hazard! It's not anything you should be ashamed of. I don't care, it's only a body."

I tried to smile back at him and thanked him. Tom still looked troubled. He put his hand on my knee.

"There's something else bothering you, isn't there?" he said. "You can talk to me, Ellie. Please. What is it?"

I hesitated. I bit my lower lip. Tears pooled in my eyes again and began to spill out before I could stop them.

"Why does Alice hate me?" I blurted out.

Tom seemed even more shocked at this. "Alice doesn't hate you! What makes you think that?"

"She – she's been really hostile to me since that stew incident. She's been saying little things to me ever since, trying to make me feel bad. And then this afternoon..." I buried my face in my hands.

"Are you sure she was being mean?" he asked.

"Quite sure, yes."

He nodded thoughtfully. "It's only – see, sometimes she'll say things, and she doesn't mean them the way it sounds. Like what happened with the stew. Alice is usually more, er, forward if she's being rude deliberately."

"Even when you're around?" I prodded. I could tell that Tom didn't want to believe me. Clearly, he would always side with Alice first, even when she was wrong.

"Yes, she doesn't typically care who hears," he laughed softly.

"But _why_ is she like that?"

Tom sighed. "Well, it's quite a long story. Alice had a terrible childhood. I think that at the core of it, she simply wasn't raised properly. There was lasting damage done. I agree with you, there are times she doesn't act as she should. She's still learning though. I realize that's tough to understand – I mean, she's nearly twenty. She started leaning these things very late in life. Bony Lizzie tried to undo it all, but my master and I helped her out after that. Alice is someone you've got to be quite patient with. She's only known cruelty. I'll talk to her about how she speaks to you, alright? Meantime, keep in mind what I've said. Maybe sometime we can sit down together and Alice can tell you more about herself. Do you think that would be helpful?"

I shrugged and nodded. I couldn't see how knowing more about Alice would make me more sympathetic to her cattiness, but it wouldn't do any good to argue. From all I'd read in Jenny's journals, Alice had treated her the same way. It didn't seem like a cycle that could end. Something had to give eventually. Jenny had died. I worried that the thing to give would be me.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 **ELLIE CYNER**

The next few weeks went much better. Alice still made her little remarks to me, but I tried to be understanding. According to Jenny, Alice was very jealous over Tom. Jenny speculated that it was because Alice was so lonely otherwise; she hadn't any friends that Jenny had ever seen, and had once ended her long relationship with Tom to be with a mage. The old god Pan had wanted Alice to fuse her powers with this mage, but the mage had wanted more. Alice had nearly ended up his wife! From what Jenny said, Alice only carried on with him to save herself – and Tom. She'd missed Tom and was always planning how to get away from the mage. At least, that's what Alice claimed. Jenny sounded less than sure about this. I knew that in the end, Alice had married Tom, so that was a moot point.

Tom had finally taken me to see Alice's greenhouse. She had actually been quite kind that day. I suspected that she was happiest in there and I could see why. There were so many smells and colors! It looked like a jungle that I'd once read about. Birds flew in an out of an open panel at the top. Their happy songs were magnified in the small space. Alice showed me where all the herbs in the kitchen came from. They started fresh, in clay pots. Her favorite was mint.

There were bursts of color all around. I especially liked the blue flowers called Spring Gentians. Alice's favorites were Summer Snowflakes, Fuchsias, Scarlet Pimpernels, and Bluebells, but she said that she loved each plant.

"I rather like these," Tom said, pointing to a very tall, purple blossom.

"Wouldn't touch that if I were you. That's a thistle, Tom!" Alice told him.

We all laughed. I think Alice was relieved when we left, but I was glad we'd had a nice time together. I nearly thought it would be my last.

Later in the day, I was studying in the library. I started to her the noises again. Tom had told me they were witches, yet somehow, it didn't sound as though it came from the garden. I ignored it for a time until it got louder. It was a constant moan, almost a cry, like what I've heard from some ghosts. It bothered me although I tried to keep my mind on my work. It died down and became more bearable. Suddenly, someone screamed. I jumped and made a stray mark in my notebook. That did it. I had to know what was going on.

I was starting to suspect the boggart. What could it possibly be doing though? Was someone lurking outside? There was a window at the back of the hall and I looked out. I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. I headed up the stairs toward Tom's room. I wanted to know if he was hearing it too.

On the stairs, the noises became louder. I could hear Alice's voice. She sounded pleading and desperate. The nearer I got to their room, the louder the sounds became. I heard Tom now, and he sounded like he was in pain. I became extremely worried. I knocked softly on the door.

"Tom?" I called.

There was no answer, but Alice was starting to whimper. Tom gasped and I thought I noted a growl. What sort of beast was in there with them? It was hurting Alice and the way Tom groaned, it sounded as though he was near to passing out. I tried to call out again, but there was still no answer. I heard Alice panting now and she cried out. I decided there was nothing else for it. I turned the handle and went in.

I will never forget what I saw. I noticed Alice first. She was completely naked and I could see her bottom plain as day. She was leaning over quite far with her legs spread over something. She cried out Tom's name, and to my horror, I realized that's what she was sitting on. Her hair dangled down over his face but I knew it had to be him. I saw Tom's hands holding her upper arms. Alice appeared to be shaking on top of him. Suddenly, Tom cried out too. He wrapped his arms around Alice and sat up.

My mam had told me about people making love before, but it hadn't prepared me for this at all. For one extremely awkward moment, I could see Tom's private bits. When he'd moved, he'd pulled out of Alice. I'd only seen one man naked before, but he had looked very different. I didn't realize they could get so large! I could see it all the way from the doorway. In retrospect, I don't really know how Alice could sit on it. I didn't understand how it could fit! I was shocked to the core and could only stand there, my mouth agape, my hand still on the doorknob. Alice giggled and kissed Tom passionately, then turned to sit sideways. It was then that she saw me.

Alice screamed and swore. Tom looked just as dumbfounded as I felt!

"I'm _so_ sorry!" I shouted. My words started to tumbled out faster than I could even think them. "I just... I only... I was hearing those noises again and I thought it was the boggart, but when I looked out the window, I heard it coming from here and I thought you were in trouble or hurt or something, so I just came in and I am so, _SO_ sorry!"

"GET _OUT_!" Alice screeched. "Get out, get out! You horrible, evil, disgusting little pervert! Get a good look did you, sneak creep?! I hope you liked it, that'll be the last look of anything you ever see in this house you twat! Clear off! OUT! Ain't gonna have a trollop in this house! Sleep under a bridge, you can!"

Alice came at me. She had something in her hands and threw it at me. I couldn't tell what it was, but she missed and it shattered against the wall. She snatched up something else and threw it, narrowly missing my head. I was suddenly blasted by her magic. It threw me out the door so hard that I hit my head on the wall of the hallway and my head spun. Alice came at me again and I was certain she meant to kill me. Tom got out of bed, desperately trying to keep himself covered and grab Alice. He wasn't doing a very good job of either. Eventually, he abandoned the sheets and wrapped his arms around Alice, pinning her arms to her sides so she couldn't throw anything else. She screamed and kicked and raged. For a couple moments, Tom's eyes met mine. He looked disappointed at first, then genuinely sorry. He simply nodded to the door.

I ran to my room and slammed the door shut. I could still hear Alice screaming obscenities. I threw myself into my pillow and sobbed. How could I be so stupid? I was sure that my apprenticeship was over. What would happen to me? Would I be homeless? My mam had given me some money, but I couldn't live long on two silvers. It would only buy me time to think what to do. Perhaps I could beg Tom to keep me on? Maybe if I didn't speak unless spoken to, kept my head down and stayed in my room between lessons and meals, he'd be willing to consider it. I had an idea then. Perhaps I could prove myself and show him I could be beneficial.

I wondered how I could do that. My practical lessons came to mind. I could practice with my chain until I was perfect 100 times. I would dig a pit and coat it properly this time. That was only half of it, though. There were also my lessons to consider. I loved to look at the Beastiary as it was, and I felt sure I could memorize it in a few days. It sounded like a good plan to me, so after I'd composed myself as much as a possible, I put my boots on, grabbed up my chain and headed outside.

There was a dreadful storm coming on when I stepped out. It was only past noon, yet the sky was nearly black with clouds. Lightning crackled in the distance. I decided that first thing I'd do was practice with my chain. I was already pretty decent at it, so I felt it wouldn't take as long to perfect.

As I started, it was proving more difficult than I expected. The wind picked up more and more until it was howling. It blew my chain off course ever time I threw it. Annoyed, I decided to stand closer. It was better until the post started swaying in the wind. I didn't really mind, after all, Tom always told me a witch wouldn't stand still. I tried to use it to my advantage and soon got the hang of it. Eventually, I could land it every single time. By this time, the rain was coming down hard. I was cold but I carried on. It was long before I was soaked through. I decided that I couldn't let it bother me. The Dark didn't care what the weather was like. Tom had warned me we might get trapped out in the rain, so I decided to take this as practice too.

I stayed at it for over an hour. My hair was pasted down, my dress had become heavy and I'd taken my boots off because even my socks were sopping wet. I simply tied my hair back and kept working. Suddenly, lightening struck far too close for my liking. The thunder that followed was deafening. I sighed. It was time to go in. If I went in the back door, I was sure that I could sneak into the basement. I hoped that in a few days, Alice wouldn't want to murder me and I could have my room back again.

I packed up my things as quickly as I could. I realized I'd left my chain in the grass and I leaned down to pick it up. I tugged, but it was still wrapped around the pole. I undid it as fast as possible, tossing it into my bag. The air felt very charged now and all the hairs on my arms were standing on end. I bent over to put my boots back on; in hindsight, I should've tossed them in the bag as well and run to the house, but I didn't realize what danger I was in. Lightening struck on the other side of the fence, only ten feet from where I stood. I could see the ground being thrown up and a brilliant white light flashed. It sounded as though I'd been standing next to an eighteen pounder canon! The ground shook and the force of the blast made me fall backwards. I'd twisted my ankle and couldn't get up right away. I was frightened and hoped that by sitting down, the lightening might miss me if there was another strike. It wasn't the lightening I should've been worried about. A strange shadow was cast over my face. I looked up to see that the practice post had come loose from the ground. To my terror, I saw that it was falling in my direction. It was the last thing I saw for quite a while.

 **TOM WARD**

I felt as though I wanted to crawl under the Round Loaf and live there forever. First of all, my apprentice walked in on my private time with Alice. In total fairness to Ellie, she hadn't understood what she was walking in on. I'd fibbed to her by telling her the noises were the witches in the garden. She'd said she thought we were in trouble when she heard it indoors. I could hardly blame her for that. I was upset and embarrassed, but not angry.

Secondly, I had Alice to deal with. It took me a quarter of an hour to calm her to the point that she was coherent. She'd slapped me good for not chucking Ellie out on her ear. I had told her that wouldn't be fair, especially as Ellie hadn't done it on purpose. I desperately tried to explain things to Alice for the better part of an hour. She accepted my explanation eventually, but she was still fuming. She felt that I should've been shouting at Ellie as well. I tried to tell her that at that precise moment, I'd hadn't enough blood in my brain to think properly because every spare drop had gone elsewhere. I'd hoped that would at least make her smile, but she stamped on my foot. I thought she was being highly unreasonable and went off in a huff myself.

Alice came to find me two hours later. I hadn't known where else to go, so I'd been sitting in the attic. It was apparent by the look of her that she'd been crying just as much as I had.

"Tom?" She said quietly. She came to the window sill and sat by my feet. She smiled weakly and took my hand. "Tom, I'm so sorry! I... I don't know why I said what I did. Ain't ever been so angry before – and I don't even know why I was so mad. Felt a bit violated, I guess. Always felt like our room was sacred, I have, and for her to see us like _that_ , well..." She sighed deeply, then threw her arms around me. "Oh Tom, I do love you and I'm real sorry I hit you."

I put my arms around her and buried my nose in her neck. Her shoulders began to shake and I knew she was crying again. I teared up too.

"I know, Alice. It's alright. I forgive you. I suppose I should've done more, I just couldn't think in the moment. I know it upset you and I expect I should've told Ellie to leave. I was so confused. It won't ever happen again, Alice, I promise you."

She nodded and looked up at me, her beautiful face tear stained and her giant, doe eyes pleading. "Please let's not fight anymore, Tom. Not ever. Hate feeling like that, I do, and I really do love you."

"I love you too," I whispered, kissing her lips.

She kissed me back. I kissed her more deeply. It went on for some time before Alice pulled away and gave me a cheeky grin. She tugged my hand, so I followed her. She led me back to our room, then shut the door.

I laughed. "This is what got us into trouble in the first place."

"Now we know better, don't we? Locking the door this time, I am! We'll have to be quiet as well," she giggled.

"But what about Ellie? She ran off, I really should go and find her."

"She's in her room, you heard the door slam. Anyway, she can wait a while more. You don't need her for anything. I heard what you told her earlier. That you ain't got to be embarrassed about being naked? You don't care? Think bodies are generally the same, do you?" Alice slipped her dress off in the next second and put my hands on her chest. "What about this, then? Same as all the other girls, am I?"

I lost all the will to argue. I smirked at her and picked her up, carrying her to the bed and nearly tossing her onto it. Alice giggled again. I snickered and shushed her. It was a while before we went out again.

We only had a few hours until dinner, but Alice set to work on it after she'd dressed. I went to Ellie's room and knocked. She didn't answer. I felt a bit sad. Whether she was sleeping or ignoring me, it made me feel guilty all the same. I decided that I would only open her door without an answer if she didn't come down to breakfast tomorrow. She needed time to cool down, too. I was sure she'd creep out for dinner and I hoped I'd catch her then.

As it was, Ellie didn't come down to dinner. I hadn't heard a peep from her room, either. I wasn't sure what to make of it. Alice told me not to worry. Ellie would venture out in her own good time. I agreed. There had been a storm raging all afternoon, and Alice was nervous when the lightening got close. We cuddled in front of the fire while her dinner of rabbits cooked. After we'd eaten, we curled up again and began to doze off. It was just after dark when we were both startled by Kratch. He gave a low growl and looked at the back door. Within seconds, someone knocked loudly. He neither shrieked, nor attacked, so whoever it was was obviously welcome, but he wasn't best pleased about it. Next to me, Alice sniffed – a witch's way of finding things out.

"It's Grimalkin," she said, smiling.

We got up immediately and I went to open the door. Normally, Grimalkin would greet us with a small smile. Tonight, she looked very angry.

"Does this belong to you?" She demanded.

She was carrying a dripping bundle in her arms. In shock and horror, I realized it was Ellie. Alice gasped.

"I'll take that as a yes," Grimalkin said. "Where's her room? I need to set her down and get to work on her immediately or she won't last until morning."

I hastily led Grimalkin up the stairs. She brushed past me into Ellie room and laid her on the bed. Ellie cried out, then gave a deep moan and began to sob. Her little hand held tight to the collar of Grimalkin's shirt.

"Hush, little one, you're alright now," Grimalkin said, and gently pried Ellie's hand away. "I know you're in pain, but if you give me a minute, I can ease that for you."

Grimalkin had been leaning over her and was just standing again when Ellie reached out and grasped Grimalkin's sleeve.

"Please," Ellie gasped, her voice breaking and raspy. "Please don't leave me."

"I'm not going to leave you, child." She put a hand on Ellie chest in reassurance. "Go back to sleep."

Within a few minutes, Ellie's eyes closed and her breathing evened. Her grip on Grimalkin's arm relaxed. Grimalkin set to work on her straight away. She stripped Ellie's dress off, covered her with a sheet, and put a hand on her side. She began muttering spells. Ellie whimpered in her sleep. Grimalkin ran her fingers up and down Ellie's rib cage. Every so often, she would pause, repeat a spell, then continue. It was nearly half an hour before she was satisfied. She finally turned to look at Alice and I. She tsk'd and sighed.

"Tom... Tom up until now, I've thought of you as a very intelligent, responsible, rather remarkable lad for your age. You've been brave and clever, and have faced things that grown men twice your age wouldn't dare. You can understand my complete bewilderment at finding your apprentice all alone in the dark, soaked to the bone and nearly crushed to death!"

I hung my head. "I... I can't answer that. I didn't know."

"You didn't know?" She nearly shouted.

"Ain't his fault," Alice said angrily.

"Isn't it? Oh, I was under the impression that he was the master and responsible for his apprentice."

Alice looked as though she was about to say something very cutting back, but I stopped her.

"She's right, Alice. It _is_ my fault. By taking Ellie on, I promised to be accountable for her. She might not be in this state if I'd been paying attention." I had a hard time even looking at Grimalkin.

"What happened?" She demanded.

"This morning, we had a terrible argument between the three of us. Ellie went to her room. Alice and continued to argue. I wanted my own space and went to the attic. Alice and I made it up, but when I went to talk to Ellie, she wouldn't answer the door. I truly thought she was in there."

"Why did you not bother to check?"

"That's sort of what we were arguing about in the first place."

Grimalkin raised an eyebrow. I could tell she didn't believe me. I couldn't lie to her. It was nearly impossible. The way she looked at me, it was as if she was compelling me to tell the truth. I sighed deeply.

"Alice and I were coupling this morning and Ellie walked in on us. Alice screamed at her and Ellie got frightened and ran off to her room. Then Alice and I argued about it, and I stormed off. I didn't see either of them until late afternoon. I honestly did think that Ellie was still in her room, so I can't say what happened to her."

"I see. Be that as it may, you've a right to check up on your apprentice when you feel you need to. I can't tell you what happened either, but I can tell you how I found her. When I arrived here, I saw a giant mass lying in your garden. I investigated and it was a good thing I did. The post you practice on had fallen down right on top of her. She'd been knocked out cold. She'd been laying out there in the rain for hours because she couldn't get out from under it."

I rubbed my forehead. I felt lower than a slug. Grimalkin was right, I really should have checked up on Ellie. I knew that I was good Spook, but I was a terrible master. If Ellie didn't make it, that was two deaths right in a row, and both were directly my fault. I was starting to think that maybe I wasn't the sort to have an apprentice.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 **TOM WARD**

Grimalkin had done everything she possibly could, and she kept on trying well into the night. Ellie only seemed to get worse. Her breathing would slow until I wondered if it had stopped altogether, then start rapidly again, sounding wet, and I worried that she would choke. She mostly laid stiff as a board in the same position Grimalkin had put her down in. At times, Ellie's fingers would twitch or her eyelids would flutter. It only lasted seconds and she would be still again.

"She had several broken ribs," Grimalkin told me, pointing to Ellie's left side. "This side had only hairline fractures. I have mended all of them, but she will still need to be careful with herself for a full month. Besides which, she injured her lower spine and pelvis. I'm certain that I've gotten everything back where it should be. She's going to be quite sore and you can expect her head to bother her for a time. It could even be that she will be sensitive to light, sound and motion.

"As for this fever, I've obviously not been able to break it. I really cannot say what it is. I will continue to try to treat the symptoms but I believe whether she recovers or not is up to her. If you ask me, its almost as though she doesn't want to live."

I hung my head in shame. "I'm so sorry, Grimalkin. This is all my fault."

"Then it's her you should apologize to, not me."

"Ain't all Tom's fault," Alice piped up. "Shouted at her good, I did. Hurt her a bit with magic, too. I think she ran away partly because I was so angry."

"So then you both ought to apologize! Look, I really couldn't care less who's fault it is. What matters now is that she heals. What is her name, anyway?"

"Elanor," I replied. "She likes to be called Ellie."

Grimalkin nodded. She sat down in a chair next to Ellie's bedside. Alice gathered some bedclothes and a cot and set up on the other side of the room. I wasn't sure where to sit, so I pulled up a chair near Grimalkin. She asked me a few more questions about Ellie. After an awkward silence, I asked her about her apprentice, Thorne. I'd never met the girl, but I'd heard a lot about her from Alice. Thorne was the only person our own age that Alice considered a friend.

It was just after midnight that there was a change. Ellie gave an audible whimper and shifted herself a little. Then she began to moan in her sleep. She looked as though she was in pain. Grimalkin was at her side immediately. She tried for several minutes to calm Ellie, yet nothing worked. I heard a very tiny voice. Grimalkin straightened and looked at me.

"I think she's asking for you, Tom."

I swallowed. If Ellie really was dying, would these be her last words to me? What was I going to say to her? I couldn't face her though I knew I had to. I went to her, feeling as though I was moving against my will. Grimalkin moved so that I could sit directly by Ellie's head.

"Ellie? I'm right here," I said softly, taking her hand.

"Will?" Ellie croaked.

"No," I replied, confused. "I'm Tom. I-it's Tom Ward, Ellie. You know, your master?"

Ellie looked up at me. Her gaze appeared to very distant. She gave the tiniest of giggles. "Don't tease me, Will. I... I don't feel very good. What time is it, Will? Mammy will be mad if I'm late out for the washing."

Now I looked up at Grimalkin. I was confused, worried and more than a little afraid. Grimalkin tsked.

"Her fever has reached a peak," Grimalkin told me. "She's delirious."

I'd heard of delirium before. My mam had told us about it happening to her patients sometimes, after the trauma of birth. If we couldn't get Ellie's fever down, it could become extremely serious. She might have permanent brain damage. I was starting to feel rather sick, myself.

"What do I do?" I asked.

"Just humor her for now," Grimalkin said. "It may put her mind at ease so she can sleep again."

I nodded and did my best to smile at Ellie. "Sorry for teasing you. You got me – it is Will. H-how are you?"

"I don't know. I'm in a lot of pain, Will. I hurt all over. Can you hold me? You know, the way you used to? I'm scared."

"Er, yeah, of course. You'll have to remind me. I've been away for so long, I've forgotten."

Ellie reached up and I helped her to sit. She told me to sit behind her. I climbed into her and obliged her. She turned round and put her pillow on my left arm. She laid her head there. Then she curled her body around me and put her legs over my right leg so that I was cradling her like a baby. She smiled up at me.

"You're still comfortable! I always liked your cuddles. I've missed you so much. Will? Can I talk to you?"

"Yes, Ellie," I encouraged. "You can talk to me about anything you like."

She put her little hand on my chest and clutched my shirt. "I don't know if Mammy told you, but I'm a Spook now, Will. I was sad, but Master Ward made it better at first. Only I'm really sad again now."

I felt my heart clench. "Why is that?"

"Master Ward doesn't like me."

By now, Grimalkin and Alice were paying close attention. I tried to block out their stares. I gently brushed fallen strands of hair off of Ellie's face.

"What makes you think that?"

"He doesn't really pay attention to me. Alice is all he cares about."

"I'm sure he still likes you well enough. If he's married, then of course Alice will be most important."

"You don't understand, Will. It's different. Tom had another apprentice – Jenny. He didn't pay attention to her either. He was too worried about Alice. She died because Tom was so obsessed with Alice that he didn't help his own apprentice! I know, I've talked to her ghost."

My jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "But I made – I mean, _Tom_ must have made sure she wasn't a ghost."

Ellie giggled. "She wouldn't speak to him! She was really angry. Jenny talks to me though. She's bound to her last journal. Tom doesn't know. Jenny only comes round to me at night when they're asleep. She's told me lots of things.

"For one thing, she says the same thing happened to her. Master Ward liked her for a few months. She thought they were good friends. Then Alice came back. He stopped paying attention to her. She says he stopped keeping up with the lessons. She fell way into the background. She kept trying to do things to impress him – to make him notice her. He'd just get angry with her.

"Master Ward still doesn't understand why she died, either. He says it's because of the poison but that's not true. Jenny died because he broke her heart and she wanted to die. After she was poisoned, he was worried. She thought maybe getting hurt was lucky. But you know what, Will? He only asked her one how she was, then never again. Alice asked him to go to Pendle. He decided to go instead of helping Jenny! She tried so hard to make it. She was in so much pain at the end. It wasn't until she collapsed that he noticed how bad it was. That's not even the worst of it.

"When he realized she was dying, Jenny thought that finally, that would change his mind for sure, and he'd understand what he was doing to her. He took her to a big manor house with a healer... well, she wasn't a real person, she was a sort of creature, but she still could've helped. The lady gave Jenny these herbs and told Master Ward that Jenny was dying but she could still live. Do you know what he did, Will?" Ellie's voice broke and tears fell from her dazed eyes. "Will, he left to go talk to Alice! Jenny heard him. She was _so_ sad, Will! Totally devastated and it broke her heart. So she gave up. Master Ward obviously only has room for one person and it's not an apprentice."

I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. I could hardly think. My mind was reeling with this information. I felt as though I'd just been eviscerated. I wanted to be sick. And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, Ellie continued.

"That's only part of it, Will. There's Alice, too. I've tried so hard, Will. I just wanted her to be my friend. She's so mean to me! I've tried being nice like Tom said, but it's almost worse." Tears started to run from her eyes, yet Ellie seemed unaware of it.

"I... I see. You say she's mean – can you explain that?"

Ellie nodded. "She says things that hurt. She makes fun of me. She'll do things and make remarks to really cut someone down. Tom's never around when she does it. Master Ward says that maybe she doesn't really mean it, but I know that she does. I don't think he wants to believe that she could be that way. I thought that it was me at first. Jenny said it was the same thing with her. She thought Tom made excuses for Alice instead of causing a problem between them.

"Jenny thinks its because he loves her so much. You don't want to think someone you love can do something wrong. She said Alice loves him too... only..." Ellie hesitated. "She's really aware how much Tom loves her. He'd do anything to keep her. She uses that to her advantage. Manipulates him, I guess. Alice knows she's real pretty and she can get away with stuff. Jenny doesn't think Master Ward realizes how much Alice does it. She did it to Lukrasta – that's the mage she was with. She even used it to kill him. Alice really knows her way around men. She's really good at getting what she wants."

There was a sudden sound of breaking glass. I looked over to Alice. She'd shattered the glass she'd been holding. Even Grimalkin looked surprised. Alice's face was hard to read. She looked furious on the surface. Her cheeks were flushed red in anger. Yet she also looked embarrassed. Almost guilty. There were tears streaming down her cheeks. Without any further warning, she got up and ran from the room.

I had no idea what to do. I couldn't very well go after her with Ellie in my lap. I felt compelled to follow Alice though. I looked helplessly at Grimalkin. She was rubbing her forehead and shaking her head. I'm sure she was tired of all this drama. Frankly, so was I.

I hated living like this, torn between my apprentice and Alice. My heart was heavy. Everything that Ellie had told me was true. They were "home truths" as my dad called them. I hadn't wanted to hear them at all, and yet, deep inside, I suppose I needed to. I knew it was the truth, as well. Poor Ellie had been keeping all of this inside. Now, due to her indisposition, she able to be fully honest.

There was also Jenny to consider. My mind was reeling with all the information about her. I wanted to go off to someplace nice and quiet and have a good long think. Without even realizing it, I'd begun to cry too. Ellie looked up at me, trying to focus on my face. It was difficult for her and her gaze still seemed miles away.

"What's wrong, Will?" she asked. "Why are you crying?"

I sniffed and tried to smile. "Oh, it's n-nothing. I'm just worried about you."

"You don't have to be. Will? What do you think? Should I still be a Spook? Or should I pack it in? You'd take me home with you, wouldn't you, Will?"

I took a corner of the sheet and mopped her eyes, then wiped her nose. "Of course I would. But Ellie, I don't think you should give up. Tell you what – I'll have a talk with Tom. Maybe it would be different if he knew these things."

"No! Will, don't! He'd be so mad! He'd put me out for sure!"

"It's ok, Ellie. Shh, it's ok." I smoothed her hair back, trying to stop her panic. "I'll be very careful. I promise that I won't anger him. I really think you should keep trying, Ellie. You're a good girl. You're really smart and dedicated. You're always obedient. On top of which, you're quite talented. I'm sure you'll be a fantastic Spook, you only need time. Please don't give up on me... on Tom."

She nodded. "Ok. If you think so, Will."

Ellie closed her eyes again. She yawned. The hand she had on my chest slowly relaxed. She was asleep again in minutes. I put my head back against the wall and sighed. I closed my eyes as well and let the tears flow from them. After several long minutes, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Tom," Grimalkin said softly.

I opened my eyes. I could hardly bear to look her in the face. She gave me a rare, soft smile and put a hand on my head.

"I'll take her now. Go and get some rest. I know this has been difficult for you. I didn't realize she would... well, I'm sorry it's had to come to this."

"No. No, I think I needed to hear it."

"Even so." She ran her hand through my hair, then squeezed my shoulder.

Grimalkin put her arms under Ellie to brace her as I scooted out from under her. She gently laid the girl back down and repositioned the pillows. Ellie stirred ever so slightly but didn't wake. She snuggled deep into the bed. Grimalkin wiped Ellie's face then tucked her up in the sheets before taking up her watch in the chair again.

I'd been about to leave, but I went back. I kissed Ellie's cheek. "I'm so sorry," I whispered. I turned and left.

I knew I wouldn't get much sleep, if any. I'd too much to think on. In the end, I took Jenny's journals and stole away outside. I wasn't too sure where I intended to go. My feet carried me to a dense copse of trees. It was raining, but the thick canopy above shielded me from it. I took my cloak off and laid it on the ground to sit on. I removed the tinderbox from my pocket and lit a small lantern. Sometimes light would discourage a ghost, but as Jenny had always been drawn to a nice, warm fire, I thought it might help. I placed her journals on the ground.

"Jenny?" I called softly. "Jenny, can you hear me?"

Most ghosts won't come when they're called like a house pet. Some are more responsive than others, especially depending how well they like a person. Many recognize a Spook as someone who will help them. Some take quite awhile to coax out. I wasn't sure how it would go now.

"Jenny, please. I'd really like to talk to you. Please don't ignore me."

Everything was silent. I sighed. Jenny could be stubborn in life. Apparently, she was in death, too. Surely she could see I was serious. Ellie was right. Jenny must have been very cross with me.

"Right, Jenny, you don't have to show yourself. I understand you're angry. I know now what I've done to you. Ellie's told me everything. You've every right to be mad, and you don't have to talk to me. But if you can hear me, please listen."

I decided that even if she wouldn't come to me, I'd still try to speak to her. You never can tell what they might hear. I'd probably feel better for saying it, anyway.

"I never meant to hurt you, Jenny. I never realized what I was really doing. I know you were trying to tell me in your own way, but I wasn't listening properly. I guess I spent so much time learning to communicate with Alice that I never bothered to learn how to talk to anyone else." I sighed again. "I... I never realized Alice was a problem.

"I know you two never got on. I only thought Alice was jealous and that it might work itself out. I didn't think to look past that to see any other issues. Ellie's told me that Alice could be unkind to you. Mean, even. Jenny, I want you to know that I truly never saw any of that, but had I done, I would have called her on it. You were always a good girl and friendly. I'm sorry that she threw it back at you. I only wish you had told me.

"I wish I'd done a lot of things, now. I wish I'd paid you more attention. I wish we'd spent more time together, in the County and out of danger. I wish I'd taken the time to really get to know you. Most of all, I wish I'd told you that you were really important to me. You were there for me during a very dark time in my life. I was short-tempered, I know, and I'm sure I wasn't an easy person to deal with. You stuck it out and stayed around me. Perhaps the times I pushed you away were the times I needed you most. I wish I'd told you that I really did love you, Jenny."

"Then why did you leave me?"

I looked up to see Jenny standing over me, not three feet away. She looked much as she had in life, though totally white now. She was still wearing her Spook robe. The only thing different was her face. When I thought of Jenny, she was always smiling or laughing. Now she was terribly sad. There was a brokenness in her eyes. And unmistakable anger.

"Why, Tom?" She repeated her question. "You left me in that bed _dying,_ to go and speak to your precious Alice. And you tell me I was important to you? I'm only special to you now I'm dead, more like!"

"No, Jenny! No, it's not like that at all," I said, desperate to keep her around. I was surprised she'd shown up at all and I didn't want her to go again. I knew I had to be careful. One wrong word and she'd never be back. "You were always important. Look, I just never realized... I mean, I'm..."

"Daft as a brush?" She chided.

Even from the grave, the girl was giving me cheek. I had to smile. It was actually comforting to hear her voice teasing me again.

"Yes," I agreed. "When it comes to girls, you could definitely say that. I'm only eighteen, Jenny. There's a lot I don't understand. Alice was quite literally the first girl I ever knew. I've since learned that she's very different from most girls. I really am clueless. I need to be told what you want or need of me. I can't just guess. I can see now that there was a problem between you, but it wasn't obvious to me to me at the time. I think you're right. Maybe I didn't _want_ to see it. I'm really sorry for that, Jenny."

Jenny floated down and sat across from me. "I always knew you were a bit thick, but I didn't think you were a total barnpot. I still don't understand _why_. How could you leave me like that? I know you're obsessed with Alice. I just never thought it would cost me my life!"

"That's another misunderstanding. I wasn't talking to Alice for small talk or to see how she was. I went to tell her that you were dying and you needed her help immediately. She never replied and you had passed on by the time I got back."

"You... you were asking her to help me?" Jenny blinked, surprised. "But she never came. I know she didn't."

"No, she was busy with the Pendle clans."

"That's a lie. She was with Lukrasta." Jenny glared at me hard. "I see how it is. She was two-timing you! Tom, the whole reason she hated me was because she thought I'd replaced her while she away. I was your last chance at being happy and she thought she'd take that away too! This is all _her_ fault! She's the one who let me die!"

I was stunned for a second time. I remembered thinking I'd seen Alice's face in the mirror that night. Had she really ignored me and let Jenny die? Alice could certainly be a bad girl, I knew that all too well. I simply couldn't see her being downright cruel. If Jenny's theory was right, I didn't know what I would do. I doubted if I could carry on with her knowing she'd deliberately killed my apprentice.

"I don't know Jenny," I replied. "I'm learning now that Alice has a jealous streak. I know that's why she treated you the way she did. Do you truly think she would do this on purpose? I can't see Alice killing someone simply because it suited her. I know that she's dark and yes, I can see now how she's been mean, but she'd have to be totally evil to do that."

"People do strange things when they really love a person, Tom. You never thought you'd let an apprentice die because you were so enamored, did you?"

I hung my head. She was right. I would've killed Lukrasta to have Alice back. I had also let my vision be clouded when Jenny had been in dire need of help. It was entirely possible Alice would do the same.

"Jenny, I'm so sorry. I truly am. You're absolutely right about everything. I should have done better by you. It still hurts when I think of you. Deep down, I've always known it was my fault. I'm sorry it ended that way. I do wish I could take it back. If only you'd told me, I would have fixed things. I've missed you so much."

"Thank you. That was all I really wanted to hear." She smiled at me. "It's over for me, Tom, but you've still got a chance to make it right. That little Ellie, she loves you so much. She thinks you're pretty special, and she'd do anything to be your friend. Despite everything, she still admires Alice as well. She's got a broken heart now. You can fix that. She only wants to hear that you do care about her. Promise her you'll change things. Go tell her before it's too late."

I nodded. "I will. Thanks for talking to me, Jenny." I stood, then leaned against a tree. "Are you ready to go to the light?"

"I'll go when I want to. I was a Spook, remember? I know how to get there!" She laughed. "No, I think I'll stick around and make sure you keep that promise. I'd also like to have better chat with you some time. I sort of fancy giving Alice a good scare, too. Don't look at me like that! She's a witch, she can take it. Besides, she has it coming to her."

I had to laugh, too. "Maybe she does." I picked up my things and Jenny's journals, then I thought of something. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Jenny looked down. "Only one thing. Alice's suspicions weren't entirely unfounded. I don't think you ever knew it, but I did have feelings for you. After she left a second time, I'd hoped we might be more than friends. I should have known that would never happen. The only thing I ever really wanted was to be close to you. Will you kiss me, Tom?"

My heart ached hearing her confession. There had been times when I also thought Jenny and I might have been more, but somehow I couldn't bring myself to tell her. Not yet. I smiled gently at her and held my arm out. "Of course, Jenny. Come here."

Her whole face light up with joy. She came to me and put her arms around my waist. Her eyes held happy tears. I was surprised at how solid she felt, like a real person, only deathly cold. I wrapped my arms around her and pressed my lips to hers. It felt as though I'd pushed my face into snow. I felt Jenny kiss me back. In the next second she was gone.

She had used up an immense amount of energy to make herself whole. The effort of it was hard and exhausting. I realized she must have been storing up for quite a while, in hopes that she'd talk to me some day. I felt sad all over again, and in a strange way, happy that I could give her what she'd really wanted. Jenny was truly special and I was eager to speak to her again. Now, I needed to clear things up with Alice.


End file.
